Patients with refractory angina often suffer from erectile dysfunction. Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) decreases symptoms of angina, and increases nitric oxide release. This study evaluated the effect of EECP on sexual function in men with severe angina. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used to assess erectile function of severe angina patients enroled in the I...

AIMS An increasing number of patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) are not candidates for traditional revascularization and experience angina in spite of excellent medical therapy. Despite limited data regarding the natural history and predictors of adverse outcome, these patients have been considered at high risk for early mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS The OPtions In Myocardial...

Refractory angina pectoris is a chronic disabling condition affecting ≈850 000 patients in the United States. It is characterized by frequent angina attacks unresponsive to maximal medical therapy and obstructive coronary artery disease not amenable to coronary revascularization. Although major progress has been made in medical therapy and cardiovascular interventions, up to 43% of patients con...

Coronary artery spasm usually responds to sublingual nitroglycerin. This report describes four patients with variant angina and one patient with rest angina who had coronary spasm that was refractory to sublingual or i.v. nitroglycerin. In four patients, spasm occurred spontaneous and in one patient after 0.05 mg of ergonovine. In each case, 25-100 micrograms of intracoronary nitroglycerin prom...

We report the case of a 58-year-old patient, with a three vessel disease with unstable angina. Due to refractory angina, she was referred to urgent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). In the preoperative evaluation were found severe obstructive lesions in the brachiocephalic trunk origin, left common carotid origin and left internal carotid artery. The patient underwent CABG, supra-aortic trun...

Coronary artery spasm usuafly reponds to sublingual nitroglycerin. This report describes four patients with variant angina and one patient with rest angina who had coronary spasm that was refractory to sublingual or i.v. nitroglycerin. In four patients, spasm occurred spontaneously and in one patient after 0.05 mg of ergonovine. In each case, 25-100 ,ug of intracoronary nitroglycerin promptly (...

Intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) are commonly used in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction that is complicated by cardiogenic shock or mechanical complications such as a ventricular septal defect or papillary muscle rupture. IABP has also been shown to be useful in patients with refractory and hemodynamically unstable ventricular arrhythmias and refractory post-myocardial infarction a...

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on the need for acute admissions for chest pain in patients with refractory angina pectoris. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of case records. PATIENTS 19 consecutive patients implanted for SCS between 1987 and 1997. All had three vessel coronary disease, and all were in New York Heart Association functional group III/IV. METHOD...